


Captain Gestures to Lipstick Inscription

by Axolotl



Series: Written in Lipstick [2]
Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Acceptance, Dysphoria, Established Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Misgendering, Other, Self-Acceptance, Slurs, Trans Characters, Transphobia, trans woman, trans!Martin Crieff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2015-03-17
Packaged: 2018-03-18 07:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3560519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Axolotl/pseuds/Axolotl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had taken Martin thirty years to come out of hiding, and Douglas would be damned if he'd let a few strangers' words send her back in the closet.<br/>(Sequel to "Written in Lipstick.")</p>
            </blockquote>





	Captain Gestures to Lipstick Inscription

**Author's Note:**

> I KNOW I SAID FOREVER AGO THERE'D BE A SEQUEL. I've had this draft sitting on my computer waiting until I've had time to continue it, but I'm posting the first chapter in the hopes of it motivating me to get a move on and write more. I'm gonna need the distraction of writing this week.
> 
> Just a warning: This story will be dealing more with dysphoria and transphobia-related subjects, so if you find these triggering, might want to avoid reading!

As it so happened, there were many things Captain Martin Crieff would not tolerate. The first and foremost was, of course, disrespect. However, when one is taught their entire life that certain things are not worthy of other’s respect – no matter how silly and arbitrary those things may be – it can be difficult to assert oneself. 

Now, being a captain, that was something easily respectable, surely. Disrespect towards authority such as that, Martin had no trouble getting indignant about. The weight of the captain’s hat felt something like a crown at first, something worth dignity and obedience, and the captain had planned to command the respect worthy of such a title. But in the end, the hat was just cloth and vinyl. An article of clothing, an accessory to the uniform. Yet it felt more respectable than other pieces of cloth, such as a skirt.

It had been well over a month since Martin had come out to Douglas – Or rather, since Douglas had managed to weasel the truth out of his captain. The two of them had been in a relationship for a few months, and she’d managed to keep it under wraps for that long. Yes, “she.” That was something else Martin was getting used to. But as it went, thirty years of hiding and shame were slowly, ever so slowly coming to an end. For once, she didn’t have to convince anyone. For once, she had a space where she didn’t have to hide. The crew of MJN accepted her almost immediately, and while her hat gave her almost no authority here, her pronouns were the one rule everyone agreed to abide.

All her life, Martin had been taught that certain things probably weren’t worth a great deal of reverence. Yet here she found herself, captain of MJN, and the one thing she got respect for was the one thing she’d been ashamed of her whole life. Perhaps it was to do with the fact that she wasn’t the only one who was that way, as Arthur had revealed to her the day she came out, but it felt nice. Coming to work with makeup on. Letting her hair grow out. Having a partner call her his “girlfriend,” without a trace of hesitance or shame.

She was still hesitant to wear anything explicitly gendered in public most days, so she had managed to hide from most of the world for a bit longer. However, it was only a matter of time before other people noticed. 

As Martin did the walk-around one morning, the inevitable occurred: A loud bark of laughter was heard behind her.

“Oy, Captain! Lose a bet?” It was one of the ground crew. Martin wasn’t as acquainted with their names as Douglas or Arthur, but she recognized the voice well enough. Her shoulders stiffened as she hurriedly walked to the other side of GERT-I, checking the other wing.

But the voice got closer as two men tried to get a better view. “God, this is cruel, even for Douglas!”

“Should know better than to fall for his tricks!”

“Imagine if he had lost though. That’d be a sight! Ol’ Dougie in drag!”

“Reckon he’d be able to pull it off better than Cap’n Crieff, though!”

That had been enough. Gertie didn’t seem to be falling apart, still had two wings. Martin rushed through the rest of the walk-around before hurrying into the plane. Once inside, the sound of men’s laughter faded, replaced by the sound of Martin’s own heart pounding in her ears as she fought to control her breathing.

Douglas was waiting in the flight deck. They had to take off soon, but first, Martin had to make a quick trip to the loo at the back of the plane.

“Everything ship-shape, Cap—” Douglas paused as he turned to see Martin enter the cockpit. “… What happened to your face?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Martin sat down, trying and failing at nonchalance. 

“You were wearing lipstick when we left this morning. You spent nearly half an hour doing up your eyes in the bathroom. Did your makeup fall off during the walk-around?”

Martin straightened in her seat, flicking a few switches. Her face was now, in fact, lipstickless, and a dark shadow under her eyes marked where she’d attempted to wash off her mascara. “Ah. That… Well… It wasn’t working out, I suppose… Realized I put on a bit much.”

“Your bra’s gone, too.”

“It got uncomfortable.”

“… Right…” And Douglas let the subject drop. For now.


End file.
